This report provides a snapshot of homelessness in America as it exists today, and as it can be expected to exist in the future. By further dismantling the safety net that protects many families living on the edge, policymakers will ensure that the numbers of homeless and destitute families increase, creating a new era of homelessness dominated by a growing class of "poverty nomads." Over 400,000 families are homeless now, with only 16% homeless due to one-time housing emergencies such as hazardous living conditions or financial hardships. Most lived with friends and relatives in crowded conditions. Once they lost those supports, shelters became the last option, with instability and impermanence as a way of life for many families. Homelessness has changed from an emergency-driven situation to a long-term, poverty-driven condition. New federal and state cuts will increase the numbers of nomadic poor, and the loss of housing will become a primary cause of homelessness. Finding new ways to maintain current levels of support can reduce the numbers of homeless families in the future. (Contains five figures.) (SLD)